On this day in 1941, Vågsøy, Norway. Operation Archery
Operation Archery, also known as the Måløy Raid, was a British Combined Operations raid during World War II against German positions on the island of Vågsøy, Norway, on 27 December 1941.
The raid was conducted by British Commandos of No. 3 Commando, two troops of No.2 Commando, a medical detachment of No.4 Commando, a demolition party from 101 Troop (canoe) of No. 6 Commando and a dozen Norwegians from Norwegian Independent Company 1. The action was supported by Royal Navy gunfire, led by the light cruiser HMS Kenya, with the destroyers HMS Onslow, Oribi, Offa and Chiddingfold. The submarine HMS Tuna was in support as the force navigational check. For troop transport the Prince Charles and Prince Leopold were used. Also in support were Royal Air Force bombers and fighter-bombers.
The commando force of 570 troops was divided into five parties to;
Central to the operation was the destruction of fish-oil production and stores which the Germans used in the manufacture of high explosives. Another intention was to cause the Germans to maintain and increase forces in Norway which might be employed on the Eastern Front.
The dawn landing was preceded by a very effective naval bombardment and objectives were achieved, except in Måløy. German opposition in the town was much stiffer than expected as, unknown to the British, a Gebirgsjäger (mountain rangers) unit of experienced troops from the Eastern Front was there on leave. The defenders’ experience in sniping and street fighting caused the operation to develop into a bitter house-to-house battle. The British commander, John Durnford-Slater, called on the floating reserve and troops from Vågsøy Island. A number of local citizens assisted the commandos by acting as porters for ammunition, grenades and other explosives and in carrying away the wounded.
At around 14:00, the commandos started their withdrawal having destroyed four factories, the fish-oil stores, ammunition and fuel stores, the telephone exchange and various military installations, leaving much of the town in flames. The naval assault force of one cruiser and four destroyers had sunk 10 vessels, some found in the act of being scuttled to prevent capture. Technical difficulties had prevented the German coastal artillery from being fully effective, with one of their three 130 mm guns scoring one hit on the cruiser.
No Royal Navy ships were lost but the navy suffered four men killed and four wounded. The Commandos sustained 17 killed and 53 wounded, the commander of the Norwegian Armed Forces in exile, Captain Martin Linge, was killed in an attack on the local German headquarters and eight Royal Air Force aircraft were shot down. (A Norwegian civilian was killed during the raid, probably by shrapnel.) The commandos accounted for at least 120 defenders killed and returned with 98 prisoners and a complete copy of the German Naval Code. Captain O’Flaherty was hit by sniper fire and lost an eye, later wearing an eye-patch as a brigadier. Several Quislings and over 70 loyal Norwegians were also brought back. In conjunction with this raid, Operation Anklet was mounted by No. 12 Commando on the Lofoten Islands as a diversion. The raid was enough to persuade Adolf Hitler to divert 30,000 troops to Norway and to build more coastal and inland defences. Hitler thought that the British might invade northern Norway to put pressure on Sweden and Finland.
Source: Wikipedia
The “high-water mark” days of the II SS Panzer Corps are over. The 2nd and 9th SS Panzer Divisions couldn’t break through the lines of the 82nd Airborne and are withdrawn.
The SS Panzer Divisions are ordered to move south to meet General Patton’s forces at Bastogne.
Photo - A Sherman tank passes an German Panther tank from the 2nd SS Panzer Division Das Reich at Grandmenil.
Source: WWII Pictures
December 31, 1944. Western Front
Hitler launches Operation Nordwind, attacking south near Strasbourg, France, with the goal of breaking through the lines of the U.S. 7th Army and French 1st Army.
Hitler: "This attack has a very clear objective, namely the destruction of the enemy forces. There is not a matter of prestige involved here. It is a matter of destroying and exterminating the enemy forces wherever we find them."
On this day in 1944, Hitler’s generals carry out Germany’s last major offensive in the West. Operation Nordwind sees Wehrmacht and SS troops strike at U.S. and French forces in Alsace and Lorraine. The push fails to forestall the Third Reich’s inevitable collapse.
Photo: Apparently these are captured Shermans used by the 10th SS Panzer Division Frundsberg during Operation Nordwind.
@captain-walker Nice Capt Walker . Enjoyed the photos
January 1, 1945. Western Front
Hitler launches Operation Bodenplatte, hundreds of planes of the Luftwaffe begin attacking Allied airfields in the Netherlands, Belgium and France.
Operation Bodenplatte (Baseplate), launched on 1 January 1945, was an attempt by the Luftwaffe to cripple Allied air forces in the Low Countries during the Second World War. The goal of Bodenplatte was to gain air superiority during the stagnant stage of the Battle of the Bulge so that the German Army and Waffen-SS forces could resume their advance. The operation was planned for 16 December 1944, but was delayed repeatedly due to bad weather until New Year’s Day, the first day that happened to be suitable.
Secrecy for the operation was so tight that not all German ground and naval forces had been informed of the operation and some units suffered casualties from friendly fire. British signals intelligence (Ultra) recorded the movement and build-up of German air forces in the region, but did not realise that an operation was imminent.
The operation achieved some surprise and tactical success, but was ultimately a failure. A great many Allied aircraft were destroyed on the ground but replaced within a week. Allied aircrew casualties were quite small, since the majority of Allied losses were grounded aircraft. The Germans, however, lost many pilots who could not be readily replaced.
Post-battle analysis suggests only 11 of the Luftwaffe’s 34 air combat Gruppen (groups) made attacks on time and with surprise. The operation failed to achieve air superiority, even temporarily, while the German ground forces continued to be exposed to Allied air attack. Bodenplatte was the last large-scale strategic offensive operation mounted by the Luftwaffe during the war.
@captain-walker The 109 is my favourite WW2 Ft. I think those might be K4s. They were the bsst and last mass produced ones. They only had a 30mm cannon and two heavy Mgs (in The nose). They could reach 440 mph. They were the best 109 built and a match for the Allied planes. The problem was the inexperience of the late War pilots.
you should start doing these again.
I want to and need to along with the “What if’s”. I still cant send you a notification or a chat
January 13, 1945
Sgt. Clearance Pfeifer and Pfc. Sherman Maness of the 11th Armored Division bringing back two captured German prisoners, Longchamps, Belgium.
Notice the .45-cal. M3 SMG ‘Grease Gun’ and .30 cal. Browning MG mounted on the Jeep.
14th Jan. 1941
Italian submarine Cappellini and British auxiliary cruiser Eumaeus engaged in a gun fight for three hours 100 miles west of Freetown, British West Africa. Cappellini suffered three casualties and was badly damaged, but was able to sink Eumaeus, killing 27.
Source: ww2dbase
Photo: Italian submarine Comandante Cappellini
January 16, 1941. Malta
80 Luftwaffe Stuka dive-bombers attack Valletta Harbour, Malta, trying to finish off British aircraft carrier HMS Illustrious which was badly damaged by Stukas while escorting the Excess convoy on January 10. HMS Illustrious, destroyer HMS Decoy (on the day when repairs from bomb damage in November 1940 are completed) and Australian cruiser HMAS Perth are hit or damaged by splinters from near misses, but none sink. British steamer Essex is also damaged. 10 Stukas are shot down.
I love the picture of the crashed Stuka because it’s pitched forward at an angle that makes it look exactly like an airborne Stuka that’s diving for an attack.
@CWO-Marc How funny: I thought it was really sad!
@Wittmann said in On this day during W.W. 2:
@CWO-Marc How funny: I thought it was really sad!
I guess the perspective depends on which side of a Stuka attack a person is on: delivery or receipt. :)
@CWO-Marc said in On this day during W.W. 2:
@Wittmann said in On this day during W.W. 2:
@CWO-Marc How funny: I thought it was really sad!
I guess the perspective depends on which side of a Stuka attack a person is on: delivery or receipt. :)
Heh Heh Yea cool pic.
Must’ve been destroyed on ground ? Certainly not an air crash. Kinda hard to tell, looks like burn marks by the engine ? Possible training accident ?
What do you guys think ?
Or I guess it coulda been shot down and when he tried to land, it ended that way ?
@barnee it could have been hit while trying to take off also…
January 18, 1944. Monte Cassino
In Italy the assault on the Cassino lines continues. The days following the 17th January saw some of the deadliest fighting of the campaign as first the French, then the British – a term which encompasses the Canadians, the Indians and the New Zealanders – and then the Americans, tried to break through.
Photo: British 5.5 inch medium artillery in action during the night barrage which opened the assault on the Garigliano River by the British 10th Corp
Source: WWII Today
On this day in 1942, Malaya, a 2-pounder anti-tank gun from Australian 2/4 Anti-Tank Regiment destroyed 9 Japanese tanks.
Source: RG Poulussen
